"It had been a long time since I'd gone shopping in Suotuo City. It was still as lively as ever."
Dai Mubai and Le Bai walked side by side along Suotuo City's bustling streets. "Say, Le Bai, do you remember when I last came into the city to shop?"
"Boss Dai's last time shopping in Suotuo City? I think it was over a year ago, when the Dean had you help clean up his shop."
Le Bai recalled it instantly. "But in the end, I was the one who came with you to clean. That night, you treated me to grilled meat in the city."
"Oh, right, right, right! I remember now!"
Dai Mubai slapped his right fist into his left palm. "That night, I wanted to drink too, but you absolutely refused, saying minors weren't allowed to drink."
"Drinking really is bad for your health."
Le Bai said leisurely, "Especially when we're still young. The harm is even greater."
"Fine, fine, fine, I can't argue with you!"
Dai Mubai said casually, his eyes wandering everywhere.
Suddenly, Dai Mubai nudged Le Bai's arm with his elbow. "Hey, Le Bai, look ahead on your right. Those two girls—they're twins!"
Dai Mubai did not need to point them out. Le Bai had noticed them long ago. "I see them. They're nothing special."
"Listen to yourself. They're twins!"
Dai Mubai looked at Le Bai seriously. "I hear they can communicate telepathically, and twins are very likely to let a man enjoy the blessings of both!"
"I think there is such a saying. So, Boss Dai, why don't you go strike up a conversation?"
Le Bai's tone remained flat. "You do have a fiancée, but she isn't here right now, so it should be fine."
"Cough, cough, cough!"
Dai Mubai gave a fake cough. "Well, that's true, but like you said before, I don't want to be a... a what was it? Oh, right, a scumbag! I don't want to be a scumbag at all."
"At least you have a bit of a conscience, Boss Dai."
Le Bai smiled. "Here's some good news: your fiancée will be coming to register at Shrek Academy the day after tomorrow. Remember to behave yourself then."
"?!"
Dai Mubai was startled. "Le Bai, where did you hear that? Is the source reliable?!"
"I asked the Magic Conch. The source is completely unreliable."
Le Bai made it up casually. "But, Boss Dai, you know me. Even when there's no basis for something, as long as I tell you all about it, I usually end up being right, don't I?"
"That's true!"
Dai Mubai trusted Le Bai greatly and immediately began to fret. "Zhuqing must really be coming! What do I do? I left for three years. She must think I ran awa—no, I really did run away, and I left her behind all alone... She'll definitely hate me now! What should I do? What can I do to make Zhuqing not hate me..."
"Worry about that later, Boss Dai. We still need to go to the hotel and pick something up."
Le Bai grabbed Dai Mubai's arm and shook it, quickly snapping the troubled Dai Mubai out of his daze.
"Ah, yes, you're right. Let's get the things first, get the things first."
Dai Mubai shook his somewhat dizzy head. "You said Zhuqing won't arrive for another two days. There's still time. I'll definitely think of something."
Le Bai led Dai Mubai swiftly to the vicinity of the Rose Hotel. They could already see the pink, suggestive sign above the hotel entrance.
"Boss Dai, as agreed, we'll split up and go in separately."
Le Bai reminded him, "Are you going, or am I?"
"Sorry, Le Bai, can I leave it to you?"
Dai Mubai looked around. "I keep feeling like Zhuqing is watching me from somewhere nearby. If she sees me entering a place like this, I won't be able to explain myself!"
"It's fine. It's no big deal."
Le Bai strode into the hotel.
The moment he entered, he saw two people walking ahead of him. One had long legs and a slender waist, while the other was utterly unremarkable.
"Xiao Wu and Tang San... Even if Boss Dai hadn't indulged himself, would he still have clashed with these two here if I hadn't appeared?"
The more Le Bai thought, the more absentminded he became, until a rather pleasant but "fierce" voice called him back. "Hey! You there!"
Le Bai looked up to find Xiao Wu facing him, both hands covering the two largest muscles on her body. Her lovely face was flushed with shame and anger. "Where are you staring?!"
Le Bai looked left and right, then pointed at himself. "Are you talking to me?"
"Still playing dumb!"
Xiao Wu was furious. "I could tell at a glance that you're no decent person! You were obviously staring hard at my... at the area below my waist!"
"Well..."
Le Bai was briefly speechless and tried asking, "If I said I was just thinking about something and didn't notice you, would you believe me?"
Xiao Wu's expression turned cold. "Do you think I'd believe that?"
"Apparently not."
Le Bai scratched his head. "Though it was unintentional, I did make you uncomfortable because of me. I'll apologize, so please tell me how you would like me to do so."
"Oh?"
The temperature on Xiao Wu's face rose slightly again. "You're not going to keep playing dumb or stubbornly deny it?"
"No."
Le Bai corrected her. "I'll apologize for my rude behavior, but I really was considering something just now. I wasn't playing dumb."
Xiao Wu wanted to retort, but Tang San tugged her hand from behind and shook his head slightly.
Understanding Tang San's meaning, Xiao Wu could not continue pressing the matter. But she was not quite satisfied with simply letting the person before her off, so she asked, "Since you say you were thinking about something, then tell me what you were thinking about and why you came to a hotel like this alone."
"Of course I came here because I had business here."
As Le Bai spoke, he stepped forward, walked around Tang San and Xiao Wu, and handed the list Li Yusong had given him to the hotel receptionist. "Hello, I'm a student of Shrek Academy. Our Dean should have already spoken with your hotel. Here is the list. Please check it over."
The hotel staff were professional enough to receive the list from Le Bai with both hands. "Certainly! Please wait a moment!"
Le Bai nodded, then turned to Xiao Wu. "That's why I came to the hotel."
"I heard that."
The temperature on Xiao Wu's face had returned to normal. "Then what were you thinking about just now?"
"It's a little embarrassing to say."
Le Bai looked expressionlessly at Xiao Wu. "Because you're very pretty, I wanted to pursue you. But I have no experience with this sort of thing, so I got lost in thought while trying to figure out how to talk to you."
At his side, Tang San's brows furrowed sharply upon hearing this, and his fists instantly clenched, but he said nothing. That was because Xiao Wu showed no obvious resistance. Instead, she looked somewhat shy. "Y-you, why are you so direct!?"
"But you told me to say it..."
Le Bai tried hard to play dumb. "Do you believe me now?"
Xiao Wu smiled faintly, lightly tossed her head, and said, "No! Not unless you fight me!"
"Huh?"
Le Bai could not understand Xiao Wu's train of thought. "Why did it suddenly turn into a fight?"
Thanks to Yin Qingmeng for pointing out the issue. A small bug at the beginning was corrected. Revision date: December 5, 2020.
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